iOS 14.5 Impacts on Advertising

19 Jul iOS 14.5 Impacts on Advertising

Losing Critical Tracking Data

On 26th April 2021, Apple’s privacy update launched. iOS 14.5 impacts on advertising using their App Tracking Transparency (ATT) Framework, we, the user, can now control how our online activity is seen. So, if we choose to opt-out of tracking, and by now I am sure you have seen this pop up on websites and Facebook, we can still browse as normal, but our data will not be tracked.

The iOS update impacts all platforms that rely on data collection for the purpose of advertising like Snapchat, TikTok, Amazon, and more. For business owners and Digital Marketers, we now have to navigate this privacy update knowing that it will be more difficult to reach our target audience, remarket and deliver relevant ads.

iOS 14.5 Impacts on Advertising Performance

Facebook has taken a bite out of Apple’s privacy changes by accusing the tech giant of ironically putting profits over privacy. To assist Facebook users, and in particular advertisers on the platform, Facebook has been very transparent with how these privacy changes will impact ads.

This iOS 14.5 impacts on advertising will be most obvious around 3 core performance-related areas:

1. Conversion tracking – Conversion tracking will have more restrictions, but Facebook is working on some new features in its business manager to combat this.
2. Ad Objectives – remarketing campaigns designed to target traffic from your website will be impacted if the user has chosen to opt out.
3. Reporting – real time reporting is gone with a 3-day lag after the event.

How to sneak around these changes (for now)

With Facebook, there are a few ways you can start to reduce the impact of iOS14.5:

• Verify your domain in Event Manager
• Use lookalike audiences to test and build out new audiences
• Expand into broader audiences using interests and detailed targeting expansion (for accounts with high conversion data)
• Prioritise the eight conversion events that will be most important for your business
• Implement Facebook Conversion API – allows you to share data directly, from your online storefront with Ads Manager.

Use Android campaigns: the iOS 14.5 update only affects Apple devices and users.

Leverage your website’s Google Analytics to understand where your visitors are coming from and use this data to your advantage.

Develop a stronger organic social media and content strategy to strengthen your brand.

Build your mailing list – this is gold for every business.

An Apple a day

With each day that passes we are still uncertain what the big players like Google, Facebook and others will prescribe in response to the iOS14.5 update. What is certain, however, is that it is even more important now for businesses to adapt their methods and approach to online advertising and to ensure they diversify their digital marketing channels. 

To find out more or see how your business can overcome these speedbumps in your road to paradise contact the digital marketing team at Efficient Media today.